The country mouse heads for the city

I started writing this post and Robert leaned over to read what I was writing.

“What’s the city?”, he asked. I looked at him under my brows. “Vancouver?”, he said, “That’s not a city that’s like Henley on Thames! 🙂 ”

“To you it’s an outpost!”, I said, we laughed.

Yesterday, our good friends Chris and Diane rode over for lunch. They came on Chris’s epic custom made chopper. We heard them arriving from way down the lane.

I made a “clear the fridge for Robbie” lunch. 🙂 There were a couple carrots, a zucchini and some broccoli left. These, non-Robbie veggies, plus the end of the brie and some cheddar, made a lovely frittata, and half of a package of ricotta cheese, and half of a package of rolled puff pastry made a quick and delicious nectarine tart for dessert.

We had a lovely lunch and catch-up and then R and C went off to talk cars and bikes while Diane and I drove to Oxford so I could do some last minute shopping.

…

This morning I’m packed, ready for the flight and thinking about last night as R and I talked about our summer and future plans.

I’m going to miss my Oxfordshire for a few months, but am looking forward to my home in Vancouver, my children, who I miss desperately, R coming over soon, my garden, new floors, city life.

(I’m not going to miss raking up the mountains and mountains of leaves from our huge maples.)

But the things I’ll miss the most are the everyday things.

I know I usually show you all sorts of beautiful atmospheric photos but my everyday photos, like this one, are super filled with meaning and emotion.

I’ll miss both my boys for a while.

R and I talk every day for at least an hour, sometimes two or three. Everyone who knows us knows never to phone us at Vancouver 9am or British 5pm, because that time is always reserved for our daily phone call. When we’re apart and can’t talk, I always send R a daily post card until I get back to the phone.

So I’m off this morning back to Vancouver and R is staying here for a while, but in the meantime I have our lovely summer photos and I’m savouring every one.